Friday, September 30, 2011

Most of us have heard the derision against the ARVN (Army Republic of Viet Nam), “Want to buy some ARVN rifles? Never been fired and only dropped once!” That it is a rehash from earlier times makes it no less stinging in its denunciation of the South Vietnamese Forces that fought in South Viet Nam many years ago.

It’s also very untrue. The South Vietnamese soldiers, sailors and airmen fought for their country as hard as any other soldier ever has.

While America lost over 58,000 of our sons in Viet Nam, South Viet Nam lost about 266,000 of theirs. In all, the South Vietnamese Forces were effective fighters, even though they were often under trained and under armed while facing a hostile communist force well trained and well armed by the Communist Chinese and the former Soviet Union.

It seems that a small band of U.S. Veterans groups, Vietnamese Veterans and community members has been working with the State Department of Veterans Affairs to add an inscription alongside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Olympia to honor both Republic of Vietnam and American soldiers who fought in Viet Nam.
Private donations are being sought for a simple small inscription to be placed adjacent to the Viet Nam Memorial in the Capital Campus in Olympia.

The inscription would read in English, “We remember with gratitude the soldiers of the Republic of Vietnam and the United States who fought and died for freedom and democracy in Vietnam.”

It would also be engraved in Vietnamese.

It is tragic to see former Combat Medic, Hal Lymus who was instrumental in raising the funds to construct the Viet Nam Memorial in Olympia among those expressing strong opposition to this project. While I respect his right to be opposed, I disagree with his reasoning.

He says, “We have nothing against the Vietnamese community whatsoever. It’s just that this wall is meant for one thing: the Washington citizens who died or are missing in action and for the guys who died as a result of their injuries.” He added in regards to the 1,116 names of Washington State citizens engraved on the Memorial, “A lot of these guys died in my arms.”

We lost 13 in my unit during my own 18 months in country. My best buddy was shot down and medevaced out to Japan before I could even see how he was. So I understand the intent of the Memorial, but I also see that many who were forced to flee South Viet Nam settled in Washington and were citizens when the Memorial was dedicated on May 25, 1987.

I also understand the bitterness many of us still feel concerning how we were received coming home from Viet Nam and the hostility shown us. That is a large part behind so many states and Washington D.C. dedicating specific Memorials just for our Viet Nam lost.

But I am also reminded it was not the Vietnamese refugees fortunate enough to make it to America after our government turned their backs on the struggling South Vietnamese who treated us that, but our own citizens.

Comments from the Vietnamese Community include, “The addition gives us a place to show our respect and remember our love ones who died in the war. After the war, our war dead have no place of honor in Vietnam. Their cemeteries were destroyed or moved by the communists.”

Dale Parsons a former Platoon Sergeant says, “I think it honors all those who fought and served in Vietnam. It’s about both countries; we fought side by side.”

A former infantryman named Lee adds, “It was pretty remarkable what happened there. There was a lot of testimony. A lot of tears were shed. … Everybody we talked to said, ‘Wow, great idea’.”

Still, there are those who seem to still be clinging to the myth of the cowardly South Vietnamese Soldier like Chuck Manley of Tumwater who says he is “digging in for a fight.” He says he has spoken to several Veterans about the addition of the inscription and received answers of “not no, but hell no.”

Manley also said, “This thing is going to turn into a battle. We’ve got numerous senators and representatives who are with us on this, who are concerned about it. All this project is going to do is cause bad and hostile feelings between Veterans, Citizens and the Vietnamese community.”

I find it very disappointing that there are those so adamantly against honoring our allies and citizens in Washington State that they say they are “digging in for a fight” and it’s “going to be a battle.”

Over the years I have had several Vietnamese, seeing me in my Vietnam Veterans Cap I am noted to wear, walk up to shake my hand and thank me for fighting in their country. The lady that cuts my hair was one of the Boat People who escaped in 1980 and now has grown sons of her own, all of whom either have or are serving in the American Armed Services, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

These people were not our enemies, they were our allies. And, for every tale heard of an atrocity committed, there were a thousand incidents of bravery and compassion that never made the news.

Supporters have already indicated they are not willing to further divide people over this and if the opposition is enough, will call it off.

I think the most tragic part of this is that those who fought so bravely and were basically sold out by a weak spine congress due to spoon fed disinformation from the anti-left and like John ‘F’in Kerry may be denied a simple honor from their fellow citizens of Washington State.

We Viet Nam Veterans did not receive a “welcome home” and have welcomed each other home over the years.

I think it is about time we welcomed the Vietnamese refugees to their new home.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

After a carjacking, vandalism of rail cars, dumping (not spilling) grain, destruction of private property, interfering with interstate commerce, assaulting Police Officers, preventing security guards from leaving while they trashed the facility and the possibility of involvement in rail tampering, Governor Gregoire, it is time you called out the Guard to protect innocent American workers, Union workers in Longview.

This thuggery must stop before someone is seriously injured or killed at the hands of these thugs.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Longview Longshoremen have been making a lot of news lately, none of it very favorable to them. Since they are in a dispute with the EGT Grain Terminal in Longview over their hiring a another union to do the work, local 21 of the ILWU have resorted to vandalism of trains, threats towards the Police, assaulting the Police, breaking down fences and smashing out windows, keeping people against their will by blocking them from leaving the grounds during their early A.M. rampage a couple weeks ago, carjacking a security car and driving it off into a ditch an interfering with interstate commerce by repeatedly trying to block shipments of grain into the facility by sitting down on train tracks and holding up trains.

These are actions we most commonly refer to as “thuggery,” the actions of a ruffian; a hoodlum or as many of say, union thugs when they don’t get their way. You can also call it violent extortion, forcing a company to cave to their demands of higher wages or benefits, or else risk vandalism and destruction of the companies’ property.

Not all unions engage in such despicable conduct, but the ILWU in Longview recently has. Many suspect it was someone associated with or supportive of them that tampered with railroad tracks and shut down rail traffic for hours on Monday, September 26, 2011.

We all see whenever thugs of any type engage in such nefarious conduct. Be it union violence or thuggish teens and anarchist rioting, it is apparent and if reported in the local news outlets, even if not national media.

But how many of us have noticed or paid any attention to any media thuggery?

Yes, it’s there for them too, only we label it bias. From the Columbian to the New York Times and everything in between, all display their own version of thuggery in the bias read almost daily in regular news articles.

Editorials are where we used to read such biased positions but now they have filtered down to what is supposed to be news articles, primarily when covering political candidates.

For example, we need only go back to last year and see how then candidate for Clark County Assessor Peter Van Nortwick was treated by the Columbian here, here, here and here. Some of those, besides the one blog post from my other blog questioning why Peter was not even mentioned in their discussion on candidates, predate editorial endorsements.

We saw much of the same with candidates Alan Svehaug, Paul Harris, Scott Weber an a very confusing slam by editor Lou Brancaccio against Ann Rivers here where although endorsing her, connected her to independent blogger Kelly Hinton who has long stated his opposition to the Columbian on his blog and publicly.

At the time, Brancaccio had set his sights on Hinton in an effort to disparage him over his writing style and content.

During this time we also saw such writing against local businessman, David Madore who openly supports and donates to candidates that share his views. He is also opposed to bringing light rail from Portland to Vancouver and is well spoken and informed in his stated opposition, drawing the ire of many down at the Columbian, here, here, here and of late, a thinly veiled piece against Mr. Madore here.

Yes, that last one does give token mention to others, which is why I say it is a thinly veiled attack piece against him.

And candidates supported by him don’t fare much better in the pages in the Columbian. Vandalism against the home of a forensic auditor hired by Madore to inspect the public records of the Columbia River Crossing was deemed “not news” by a reporter with the Columbian, even though a couple years ago, less vandalism was used by the newspaper to raise sympathy for a supporter of a Democrat candidate here.

The paper has few kind words to say about Bill Turlay, Josephine Wentzel and other candidates he supports in surrounding communities.

Are they not trying to sway peoples’ minds even before editorial endorsements are made?

We have seen several articles in print around the country complaining about tax breaks for business, often oil companies or other large corporations. The newspapers somehow neglect to mention several of them, even here in Washington, sought and received tax breaks also so they could lower their costs and remain profitable.

National print media had to be dragged kicking and screaming to cover the Clinton/Lewisnky scandal in the late 1990s.

They only reluctantly finally covered much of the John Edwards love child scandal, but can’t wait to run with mere accusations when they hear them against conservative officials.

Look back at Hurricane Katrina and it was automatically the fault of George W. Bush what happened after the hurricane in New Orleans with no accusation against state and local officials who actually dropped the ball.

These are just a few examples off the top of my head. I’m sure most of you reading this can think of several more. But my point is media does what they can to sway opinions to their favored view.

Unions that resort to thug tactics are attempting to sway companies’ views to surrender to their demands do so by the use of baseball bats and axe handles.

Media attempts to sway views and get public support of their views by ink and paper.

Sometimes, I think Thomas Jefferson was more insightful I ever thought when he said, “The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.”

Saturday, September 17, 2011

On September 17, 1787, after weeks of often bitter debate by delegates of the States gathered at the Constitutional Convention at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Constitution of the United States, beginning with the words, “We, the People,” was signed by thirty-nine of the fifty-five delegates. The world was changed forever as America began its “great experiment “in self-government.

Never before had a constitution been established in the name of “the People” of a nation, rather than by and in the name of a monarch, a state, or other governmental power. Many of the most erudite thinkers of the so-called “Age of Enlightenment,” did not believe that a constitutional republic of limited government “by, for, and of the people” could survive in a broad land containing a large and diverse population. America is still an ongoing experiment in liberty.

The Constitutional Convention had commenced on May 14, 1787, with a challenge to the conscience and integrity of delegates by George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army which had won the Revolutionary war. Washington, then and now the model American patriot, was elected President of the Constitutional Convention by unanimous vote.

“If to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterward defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the event is in the Hand of God,” said Washington, who would later become the First President of the United States and be regarded as “the Father of his country.”

The delegates were learned American patriots who had studied history deeply to meet the task of creating a constitution fit for a free people. Thomas Jefferson, who authored the Declaration of Independence but did not participate in the Constitutional Convention because he was in Paris representing the United States, wrote of the delegates with utmost respect as “a gathering of demigods.”

The Constitution the framers wrought in the name of “We, the People,” was one creating a government of expressly limited powers – a limited federal government of not a national government of self-expanding powers.

The subsequently adopted “Bill of Rights,” contained in the First Ten Amendments, for which the efforts of James Madison earned him recognition as “the Father of the Constitution,” begins with five words limiting powers of the federal government over the people:

“Congress shall make no law…,” respecting an establishment of religion nor abridging the fundamental rights of free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, of press, of assembly, of petition for redress of grievance. These are rights which the Founding Fathers believed Americans were “endowed by their Creator,” as expressed in the Declaration of Independence. That is, the Founders believed these were natural rights, rights granted by the “hand of God, not the hand of a generous government,” as the late President John F. Kennedy would express it.

The Ninth and Tenth Amendments reinforced the words “Congress shall make no law…” by mandating that the people and the states retained all rights not enumerated as possessed by the central government.

Never before in history had “We, the people,” had their natural rights so expressly protected by a constitution so expressly limiting the government as to its powers. By changing the relationship of the people and their government, limiting the power of government and making the retained rights of the people superior, the Founding Fathers changed the world. Ever after, the people of the world who have dreamed of the freedoms of Americans have looked to the values expressed in the American Declaration of Independence, and the United States Constitution, as a model for liberty in a constitutional republic.

The framers of the Constitution, the Founding Fathers of America, were faced with a great challenge, and they met it. The Constitution which they framed was finally ratified by all states by January 10, 1791. It has now endured for 224 years since it was signed on Sept. 17, 1787.

“What kind of government have you given us, Mr. Franklin,” an American woman asked Founding Father Benjamin Franklin at the close of the convention.

“A republic, Madam,” Ben Franklin replied. “If you can keep it.”

That, the keeping of the free constitutional republic that the Founding Fathers bequeathed to us, is our challenge.

We owe a great debt to all those Founding Fathers and other Americans who came before us who preserved our freedom. We pay that debt by what we do to preserve freedom for those Americans who will come after us.

[Rees Lloyd is a longtime civil rights attorney, a veteran’s activist, and a member of the Victoria Taft ShowBlogforce.]

Thursday, September 15, 2011

After Tuesday’s stunning defeat for Democrats in New York’s 9th district, where the Democrats have held the seat for nearly a century, the Democrat spin machine kicked into gear with several different excuses to deny that it was a repudiation of Obama’s poor leadership capabilities.

I was particularly struck by the comment from DNC Chair and Florida’s Representative, Debbie Wasserman Schultz who said the race had been run under “unusual circumstances,” and she asserted the public mood will change “when we begin to focus on jobs rather than spending cuts.”

It is quite a remarkable thing to hear a Democrat say “when we begin to focus on jobs” as I am under the impression that jobs has been their primary call since losing to George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election.

Bush came to office as a recession was growing and then the nation was blind-sided with the worst terrorist attack in history, throwing the economy in uncertainty. In spite of that, a March 8, 2002 CNN Money headline informed us, Unemployment drops to 5.5%, Jobless rate falls unexpectedly as nation begins to add jobs again.

A July 3, 2003 Associated Press article then screamed, Bush's Economy: Unemployment Soars. Sen. Jon Corzine, (D-N.J.), then chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee stated, “The verdict is in: The Republicans’ multi-trillion dollar failed economic policy is one the greatest disasters for working Americans in a decade.” In spite of the claims of the article’s writer, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows actual unemployment in July 2003 was 6.2%.

November 2003 saw Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Tom Daschle send President Bush a letter saying, “American workers are weathering the effects of an economy where there is only one job for every three individuals searching for a job. And yet, the Republican leadership in Congress is refusing again this year - as it has in the past - to address this urgent problem.” Unemployment was 5.8%.

In a September 2004 interview with Don Imus, failed presidential candidate John ‘F’in Kerry (who served in Vietnam) stated, “But if you believe that we can put people back to work and stop losing all our jobs overseas and create better jobs here, be fiscally responsible,,, I think there’s a new direction.” Unemployment was at 5.4%

During the 2006 election, when Democrats swept into total control of both houses of congress, Nancy Pelosi issued a 31 page pamphlet A New Direction for America where several claims were made on how Democrats would improve and create jobs. Unemployment was 4.6% in January 2007 as they were sworn in.

In July 2007, after sweeping to power and passing their minimum wage increase, Kerry again stated, “By raising the minimum wage, we’re creating a prosperous future for our small businesses, their workers and their families.” Unemployment was 4.7%

In January 2008, after Democrats had control of both houses of congress for a year, Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer posted, “Bush Jobs Record the Worst since Presidents Herbert Hoover and George H.W. Bush” saying, “BLS Report Indicates Loss of 13,000 Private Sector Jobs and Increase in Unemployment Rate to 5 Percent. If there were ever a shot across the bow to this Administration to get off its laissez-faire boat and start helping the economy, this is it.” Unemployment was at 5%.

Campaigning for president in June 2008, Illinois Democrat junior Senator Barack Obama called for greater government investments “in a renewable energy policy that ends our addiction on foreign oil, provides real long-term relief from high fuel costs, and builds a green economy that could create up to five million well-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced.” Unemployment was 5.6%

In September 2008, Obama said, “the government needed to also take action to create jobs and help support distressed homeowners and communities.” Unemployment was at 6.2%

Obama won the presidency in November 2008 and as he was inaugurated in January 2009 unemployment had leaped to 7.8%

February 2009 saw the Democrat controlled congress approve Obama’s $787 Billion stimulus plan which was said needed to prevent unemployment from exceeding 8%. Unemployment hit 8.2% by the end of the month.

In June 2009 Obama was saying his $787 billion stimulus plan would create more than 600,000 jobs. Unemployment was 9.5%

As Democrats continued their focus on jobs, October 2009 saw unemployment exceeding 10%.

January 2010 saw Democrats again focusing on jobs as both Pelosi and Obama jointly called for a Jobs Creation Bill after a Labor Department report showed the economy lost 85,000 jobs in December 2009. Unemployment was 9.9%

Losing control of the House in the 2010 election and barely retaining the Senate, then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, reeling from the loss said, “President Obama and this Congress were job creators from Day One, saving the country from the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression. The Recovery Act created or saved more than 3 million jobs, and America is moving forward. October marks the 10th straight month of private sector job growth.” Unemployment was at 9.8%.

In his January 2011 State of the Union Address, Obama stated, “We measure progress by the success of our people. By the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer.” Unemployment was at 9%

Within months, we began hearing claims from the Democrats of High Unemployment around 9% being the “New Normal” with Wasserman Schultz, who is now saying “just wait until we begin to focus on jobs” then boasting about how “Obama Turned The Economy Around.” Unemployment was 9.5%.

In just the last days we see Obama proposing yet another “new and improved” jobs stimulus bill and speaking to American voters saying, “if you love me, you’ve got to help me pass this bill!”

Given the record seen with Democrats focusing on jobs for so many years, please, STOP focusing on jobs, Democrats. Obviously, the American worker is much better off when Democrats are not focusing on jobs.

Hopefully, if they stop their focus on jobs, the economy will actually recover and Americans can go back to work.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

If lip readers are correct, can Michelle Obama and her husband be any more disrespectful? Paying homage to those murdered on September 11, 2001, as Bagpipes played towards the end of the ceremonies they attended and as the American Flag is being folded, she is seen leaning into Barack Obama, apparently saying, "All this for a flag?" Barack seems to nod his head in agreement.

The Washington Times explains the disrespect shown, "Perhaps Mrs. Obama thinks that all the pomp and circumstance she experiences in her daily life has something to do with her, rather than the unofficial office she holds. If so she should disabuse herself of that notion quickly. The official gestures of respect shown to her are the same shown to any First Lady, and if she wasn’t married to the president she would be just another citizen."

Recalling her frequent very expensive vacations and treatment to the very best there is, all at taxpayer expense, I can only nod in agreement with the Times as they say, “all this just for Michelle Obama?”

"Obama for America's" AttackWatch.com makes no mention yet of this latest Obama gaffe.

Apologists are claiming she actually said, "I love how they fold the flag."

Proving not to have come from top of the gene pool, 45 year old Kelso Washington resident Ronald Patrick Stavas, widely seen on the video where he verbally assaults a camera crew filming outside the Longview ILWU office has been arrested on four felony counts.

Stavas, who identified himself as F. U. [Blank]sucker in the video is charged with “burglary in the first degree, assault in the second degree, intimidating a witness and sabotage” for his participation earlier in the early morning invasion of the EGT Grain Terminal where guards were overpowered, blocked from leaving, a security car was carjacked and driven into ditch, windows smashed, brake lines cut on rail cars and grain poured out on the ground.

You just have to wonder who in the right mind would participate in such criminal activity then assault a camera crew while taping? Does he not realize there is an internet today and such videos are gold?

By all accounts, it was his appearance on the video that led to his identity being revealed and subsequent arrest. Obviously, he did not descend from the top of the gene pool.

CNN’s anchorette Carol Costello found the vulgarities wildly humorous, laughing through her report of the assault of a news crew.

I wonder now if his arrest on such grave felony counts is equally as comical to her?

Monday, September 12, 2011

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting a different result. In a nutshell, that is how the new & improved jobs plan Barack Obama repeatedly told congress “you should pass right away” is best summed up. Same old, same old that plunges us deeper in debt, taxes the so called rich and places more burdens on business, which will cost us jobs, not create them.

Shortly after being coronated as king in 2009, in the minds of many liberals, Obama rolled out his multi-Billion dollar “stimulus” to spur job growth with the warning of it had to be passed to keep unemployment below 8% in America. Within months, we exceeded 10% unemployment and have remained above an 8% rate ever since, slightly above 9% at this time.

Oh, we’re told how well that one worked and saved jobs. DNC chair, transplanted Florida Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz saying, “[The] mantra that the Recovery (stimulus) Act did not work is such baloney,” adding in regards to the new & improved plan, “the plan would be paid for by ‘closing corporate loopholes,’ bringing jobs back to the U.S., and by raising taxes on the ‘wealthy and more fortunate’.”

The very acts that sent American jobs overseas in the first place!

Wasserman Schultz continues, “At the end of the day, we have to make sure that we don’t continue to deepen our problems by laying off more teachers, firefighters and police officers. We have to make sure we put construction workers back to work like the American Jobs Plan would do by investing in the infrastructure we need, and we have to make sure that this is paid for by folks who are not paying their fair share now, making sure that the wealthy and more fortunate step up to the plate, and that's how we're going to get this done.”

Same old, same old. Spend tax dollars we don’t have to bolster public unions and construction unions, not one dime of new wealth created. The very new wealth that must be created to refill our dwindling treasury to pay for those needed services in the first place. And of course, the mantra of the left, stick it to the wealthy and corporations. The very corporations that produce wealth and sign paychecks while paying Billions of dollars each year in taxes, licenses, leases and fees, while the government spends Trillions.

Evidence that Obama and his Democrat minions in congress are clueless on our economy recovering lies in their ignoring millions of private sector jobs waiting to be filled in the Oil Industry. Yes, oil, that hated industry the left painted cross hairs on years ago and continues to try to bankrupt.

Mark Green of the American Petroleum Institute brings this out in his post The President's Missed Opportunity. Brought to our attention by Mr. Green, “A new study released this week by Wood Mackenzie showed that with pro-energy development policies in place, the oil and natural gas industry could generate an additional 1 million jobs by 2018, growing to 1.4 million by 2030 - all without additional federal spending. To the contrary, those added jobs would bring with them increased tax revenue, nearly $800 billion in cumulative receipts to government by 2030 - enough to have funded NASA's entire budget the past 50 years.”

The study, after informing us, “this report looks at the potential threats to production, jobs and government revenues associated with a continuation on the current path of an increased regulatory burden and slower permitting relative to historical levels,” warns of, “Wood Mackenzie’s analysis found that U.S. policies which encourage the development of new and existing resources could, by 2030, increase domestic oil and natural gas production by over 10 million boed, support an additional 1.4 million jobs, and raise over $800 billion of cumulative additional government revenue. Whereas increasing regulatory burdens on the oil and gas upstream sector will result in higher development costs, which can potentially hinder the growth of production, tax revenues, and job creation.

Continuing the current path of policies which slow down the issuance of leases and drilling permits, increase the cost of hydraulic fracturing through duplicative water or air quality regulations, or delay the construction of oil sands export pipelines such as Keystone XL, will have a detrimental effect on production, jobs, and government revenues.”

API President and CEO Jack Gerard released a statement, Monday September 12, 2011 saying in part, “The administration is not just turning its back on oil and gas jobs. It is proposing more taxes on an industry doing one of the best jobs of creating them while also delivering more than $86 million a day in revenue to the government.”

“Let’s exhaust every opportunity to create jobs and start by building on what works. Create more U.S. jobs by producing at home more of the oil and natural gas our nation will be consuming. With a few common sense changes in energy policy, an industry that created more than 9,000 jobs this summer alone – and now supports 9.2 million across the nation – could do far more.”

With OPEC dropping hints of cutting back on production, citing decreased demand, a large part being people who are unemployed and can’t afford to drive currently, we need not only the jobs ready to be filled by oil, but our energy security as well.

For all of the cries of “pay their fair share” we continue to hear, it remains lost by the left and others who continue to place cross hairs on the oil industry that it would be far better to “share the wealth” in the form on paychecks to millions of American workers, not just handed over to the government to squander.

Obama and his Democrat minions in congress continue to cry about “subsidies” to the oil companies and “tax loopholes” saying they are going to end them. Their misuse of the words raises the image of our taxes being given to the industry, when they are not, as explained in a Las Vegas Review-Journal article Big Oil ‘subsidies?’

Very revealing in this continual call from the left in ending “subsidies” and “loopholes” for the oil industry, which will decimate jobs there, not add any, is an open admission by California’s Democrat legislature that extending a $100-million film tax credit to Hollywood liberals “will create jobs.”

If retaining tax breaks to Hollywood film makers creates and saves jobs, how many more jobs could be created all across the nation by retaining them where there are millions of jobs sitting, just waiting to be given the go ahead?

For our National Security, Economic Security and the livelihoods of millions of American workers, it’s time the crosshairs came off of the oil companies they be allowed to do what they do best, employ millions more currently unemployed supplying our nation with the resources we so desperately need.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

As the 10th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 draws to a close, it is distressing to see that radical Islamofascists in London took the opportunity of the day to disrupt a ceremony held outside the U.S. Embassy in honor of the British citizens murdered that day.

The radicals burned an American Flag, chanted anti-American slogans; spoke their messages of hate through megaphones all while brandishing signs condemning Christians and America, vowing “Islam will dominate the World.”

As seen towards the end of the video, London Police disbanded a group from the English Defence League who had gathered to counter the Islamofascists. Police moved them to “avoid an incident.”

It should also be noted that a smaller group of Muslims also was present to counter the radical Islamofascists. One moderate Muslim, Abdul Sallam is quoted saying,

“I’m a Muslim. What they’re doing is bringing shame on all Muslims. This is not part of the teachings of Islam. Islam teaches you that when you see anything bad or evil, you should speak out against it. If the moderate Muslims all came out and spoke out, that would defeat them. I am proud to be British. I love my country. All these people are doing is breaking Britain apart.”

I applaud the stand and the words, but I also wonder why even he calls on moderate Muslims to take a stand against Islamofascists, who we are told misuse the writings of the Qur’an and so few join him in taking a stand.

Radical Islamofascists are growing bolder in Europe, even as we see more calls for accommodation of Islam in America. Will we soon see radical Islamofascists protesting in America?

“I find there are many of us who are not only tired of perpetual killing maiming and senseless terrorism that blights the human family but bewildered by it too, simply because our instinct tells us that seeking revenge actually does not achieve peace in the end.”

“It is surely only by avoiding vengefulness that we can rebuild what has been lost and save it from being lost again.”

“I recall that president Abraham Lincoln once spoke very powerfully of having wasted valuable hours imagining revenge or confusion. He spoke of the practical importance of a forgiving spirit, to dissipate anger and resentment. I cannot help feeling he was right.”

That “forgiving spirit,” first seen by former President Jimmy Carter in regards to the Iranian Hostage Crisis during his term has seen terrorist attacks growing in intensity since that time. From 63 killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut in 1983, 241 Marines killed in a truck bomb on the Marine Barracks in Beirut also in 1983, the PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland killing all on board, the first bombing attempt on the World Trade Center, the attacks on our embassies in Nairobi, the USS Cole attack and the 9/11 attacks are just a few examples of radical Islamofascists hatred of the west and their intent to subdue western culture are what that “forgiving spirit” has wrought us.

There is no forgiveness for those who teach their children that killing innocent people who practice a different religion by suicide gains Gods favor. Islam itself should not show any forgiveness for those hiding in their midst preaching such hatred of others.

We can fight wars, kill terrorists, and show Muslims that we do not dishonor their beliefs, but it has to be Muslims themselves who take a stand against these radical Islamofascists.

As Abdul Sallam said in London, “If the moderate Muslims all came out and spoke out, that would defeat them.”

Those words must be spoken loudly inside every Mosque if we are to accept Muslims do not agree with these radical Islamofascists. It is the silence from the Muslim community that leads others to believe they agree.

An open letter to a terrorist: Well, you hit the World Trade Center, but you missed America. You hit the Pentagon, but you missed America. You used helpless American bodies, to take out other American bodies, but like a poor marksman, you STILL missed America.

Why? Because of something you guys will never understand. America isn't about a building or two, not about financial centers, not about military centers, America isn't about a place, America isn't even about a bunch of bodies. America is about an IDEA. An idea, that you can go someplace where you can earn as much as you can figure out how to, live for the most part, like you envisioned living, and pursue Happiness. (No guarantees that you'll reach it, but you can sure try!)

Go ahead and whine your terrorist whine, and chant your terrorist litany: "If you can not see my point, then feel my pain." This concept is alien to Americans. We live in a country where we don't have to see your point. But you're free to have one. We don't have to listen to your speech. But you're free to say one. Don't know where you got the strange idea that everyone has to agree with you. We don't agree with each other in this country, almost as a matter of pride. We're a collection of guys that don't agree, called States. We united our individual states to protect ourselves from tyranny in the world. Another idea, we made up on the spot. You CAN make it up as you go, when it's your country.

If you're free enough.

Yeah, we're fat, sloppy, easy-going goofs most of the time. That's an unfortunate image to project to the world, but it comes of feeling free and easy about the world you live in. It's unfortunate too, because people start to forget that when you attack Americans, they tend to fight like a cornered badger. The first we knew of the War of 1812, was when England burned Washington D.C. to the ground. Didn't turn out like England thought it was going to, and it's not going to turn out like you think, either. Sorry, but you're not the first bully on our shores, just the most recent.

No Marquis of Queensbury rules for Americans, either. We were the FIRST and so far, only country in the world to use nuclear weapons in anger. Horrific idea, nowadays? News for you bucko, it was back then too, but we used it anyway. Only had two of them in the whole world and we used 'em both. Grandpa Jones worked on the Manhattan Project. Told me once, that right up until they threw the switch, the physicists were still arguing over whether the Uranium alone would fission, or whether it would start a fissioning chain reaction that would eat everything. But they threw the switch anyway, because we had a War to win. Does that tell you something about American Resolve?

So who just declared War on us? It would be nice to point to some real estate, like the good old days. Unfortunately, we're probably at war with random camps, in far-flung places. Who think they're safe. Just like the Barbary Pirates did, IIRC. Better start sleeping with one eye open.

There's a spirit that tends to take over people who come to this country, looking for opportunity, looking for liberty, looking for freedom. Even if they misuse it. The Marielistas that Castro emptied out of his prisons, were overjoyed to find out how much freedom there was. First thing they did when they hit our shores, was run out and buy guns. The ones that didn't end up dead, ended up in prisons. It was a big PITA then (especially in south Florida), but you're only the newest PITA, not the first.

You guys seem to be incapable of understanding that we don't live in America, America lives in US! American Spirit is what it's called. And killing a few thousand of us, or a few million of us, won't change it. Most of the time, it's a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of Spirit. Until we're crossed in a cowardly manner, then it becomes an entirely different kind of Spirit.

Wait until you see what we do with that Spirit, this time.

Sleep tight, if you can. We're coming.
Charles Brennan

How did we allow our citizens to be lulled back to sleep? How did we allow politicians to weaken our resolve as they scored political points off of the defending of our country?

More importantly, how did we ever allow it to be twisted to where we were the aggressor after being so savagely attacked?

Friday, September 09, 2011

Following the outrageous behavior seen the last few days coming from members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union members, a KGW 8 reporter went to the union office in Longview to get their side of the story.

Very few days are so embedded in my mind as to recall almost every moment of the day. Among them are November 22, 1963 when I was a sophomore in High School and President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, my final trip home from Vietnam and the days my daughters were born. Ten years ago, September 11, 2001 was added.

Like most of the rest in America, I went to bed the night of September 10 with few cares or worries in regards to terrorism. I recall hearing that terrorist chatter had increased in the weeks leading up to the fateful day, but our embassies and posts overseas were put on alert, not America. The idea that we were going to be sucker punched just didn’t occur to us. After all, except for the February 26, 1993 attempted bombing of the World Trade Center, all terrorist activity remained outside of our borders.

A little after 6 AM my clock/radio went off that Tuesday morning. Unlike the rest of the days, I did not hear the music I was used to hearing, but heard news of the World Trade Center being on fire, having been hit by an airplane. Like I’m sure many others did, I assumed another accident, a wayward airplane of some sort impacting the building as happened back in 1945 when a B-25 bomber flew into the Empire State Building.

I turned on CNN News and was shocked to see the smoke pouring out of the building. I tried understanding how an aircraft could just fly into the building, seeing it was such a clear day. I began thinking it was a novice pilot in small plane as even the news wasn’t saying it was a passenger airplane yet.

Being in the Northwest, much had already happened as I continued viewing CNN and trying to wrap my groggy mind around what was unfolding before my eyes.

All notions of an accident disappeared quickly when I saw the second airplane hit and explode. My wife was just waking up herself and asking what was happening. I just looked at her and very somberly said, “We’re at war,” and remembering my own time in Vietnam.

I continued watching, feeling numb, not knowing what would come next. The news spoke of the Pentagon being hit, aircraft being grounded and mass confusion it seemed as they tried to land all of the across the country.

News came out that some could not be located and fighters were scrambled to seek them out.

This is not my America, I thought. We do not come under attack like this. We learned our lesson at Pearl Harbor decades earlier.

This was not the world I fell asleep in just last night. How did we change so rapidly and overnight? How did all of our high tech defenses fail to prevent this?

Two names entered my head, Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Both had been irritants to our country for some time and had been in the news frequently for a number of years.

I thought about my sons-in-law, both being of age to be called if a draft was reinstated. I thought of my grandson, one a toddler and the other an infant and would they be in danger. I thought of my daughter in Dallas, Texas, far away from where I might protect her. But overall, I was just stunned to see what was unfolding in front of me on TV. Scenes switched back and forth between New York and Washington D.C. with reports of as many as 10,000 people may be trapped in the World Trade Centers.

The TV screen switched back to New York for a breaking news moment, the reporter said. Behind him, he began describing another explosion maybe, a lot more smoke pouring out of the south tower and him saying he couldn’t tell for sure what was happening.

I yelled back at him through the TV, “My God, you can’t tell the building is collapsing?” Again, my thoughts went to all who were trapped, feeling surely no one could get out in time.

By now, it was time for me to go to work and I set off, still trying to wrap my mind around what was going on as I drove. Somewhere along the drive I realized some of my senses from Vietnam had returned as I was watching the roadside, watching the skies and looking at other people very warily.

During the time I drove to work the North Tower collapsed as well.

The radio was on at work all day as updates continued. President Bush came on speaking of the tragedy. News of Flight 93 crashing came out as well as warnings throughout the day of other buildings being weakened, leaning and expected to also collapse, WTC 7 doing just that later in the day.

I don’t think many of us accomplished much work that day, all trying to come to grips with what happened and how did it happen.

Within weeks, we invaded Afghanistan followed by Iraq a couple years later.

I saw Americans come together as I had never seen before. The divisions that still existed since Vietnam seemed to have been put aside as Democrat and Republican alike rallied behind President Bush and our Troops. The few anti-war voices raised were quickly ignored and cast aside.

For a little while, at least.

As tragic as was the terrorist attacks, those that twisted our intent in finally fighting back for political gain were even worse.

The divisions seen during the years of Vietnam returned. Those directing the defense of America were demonized and ridiculed. Incidents against our Troops were much less than during returning Vietnam Veterans, thanks in large part to Vietnam Veterans who as a group vowed “Never Again.”

Very craftily, America was changed from being the victim to being the aggressor by those who twisted events and used every incident possible to score political points, some right within America’s government.

After at least 15 Terrorist Attacks against American interests between 1979 and 2001, it was time to fight back, not score political points.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

"The International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO joins in solidarity with our Sisters and Brothers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in condemning the attack by police in riot gear on hundreds of ILWU member-protesters in Washington State and the detention of ILWU President Bob McEllrath.

ILWU President McEllrath and hundreds of his members were peacefully protesting at a railroad tracks yesterday, blocking a train carrying grain to a foreign-owned loading facility in Longview, Washington.

"The ILA condemns this aggression against union workers seeking to protect the work that they have performed for over 80 years in the Port of Longview," said ILA President Harold J. Daggett. "They were peacefully protesting the failure by big grain companies to honor ILWU agreements," President Daggett continued. "I stand with ILWU President in proclaiming: 'It shouldn't be a crime to fight for good jobs in America'."

ILA President Harold Daggett pledged the ILA's full support in this struggle.

"The ILA stands with ILWU and will offer any help it can to make certain ILWU members rights and jobs are protected," added ILA President Daggett.

Ignored is the condemnation by the NLRB of their conduct and the violation of a court order barring them from such actions. No mention of how they got past guards or acknowledgement of damage to the train and company property.

Ports up and down the Columbia River appear under siege by bused in thugs of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union as union goons escalate their dispute with the EGT Company at the Port of Cowlitz in Longview, Washington.

Union thuggery breaking out in Southwest Washington has attracted national news media as the Wall Street journal, the Associated Press and Fox News are covering the union goons storming the port, breaking down gates, to smashing glass to overpower security guards they held hostage for a few hours in the wee hours of the morning, Thursday September 8, 2011. From there, bussed in thugs rolled out train cars, cut brake lines and dumped food grain on the ground.

This is an escalation from Wednesday where hundreds of goons first stopped and blocked the train as it came through Vancouver Washington. Once it continued on, other goons blocked the train at Cowlitz County, tangled with the Police and vandalized the train. 19 union goons were arrested.

In a statement issued by Cowlitz County Sheriff Mark Nelson and published by the Columbian we read, “This was not like the peaceful protests we’ve seen in the past. The protesters today were loud, aggressive and assaulted my officers,” said Sheriff Nelson.

“We've danced this dance before. When our officers went in to make peaceful, lawful trespass arrests, they were rushed by a mob of hundreds of protesters who were resistive and throwing things at the officers,” he added.

It is now being reported that as the goons left Thursday morning they waved baseball bats and crowbars at the Police telling them they would “get theirs.”

This outrageous conduct on the part of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union falls on the heels of another outrageous comment made Sunday by Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa Jr., “President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let's take these sons of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong.”

A timeline published by the Longview Daily News shows the escalation as the union doesn’t get their way during this dire economic downturn we continue to face.

An August OPB article cites Dan Coffman president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 21, “I look at it as they’re trying to bust a union. Everybody knows the ILW is one of the strongest unions in the United States, and I believe the attacks on.”

Negotiations between recently opened EGT and the union broke down earlier and EGT hired union workers from another union to operate the facility, angering the ILW, who feel they have exclusive right to work the port.

The federal judge handling the court case determining terms of a contract the union has with the port and the ILW had previously issued a restraining order against the union over their escalating violent acts.

The National Labor Relations Board has condemned the conduct of the ILW, writing in their complaint, “A longshore union has used death threats and physical assaults during protests at a new grain terminal at the Port of Longview” and “the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have used unfair labor practices. The board wants the union to write a formal letter saying that it will not block rail shipments to the facility managed by EGT.”

EGT head, Larry Clarke countered union allegation pointing out the union was demanding an outrageous $20 per man hour to be contributed to the union pension fund. Clarke said, “That is a significant figure. EGT did not create the multi-billion dollar shortfall in the ILW’s pension, and should not be responsible for filling that funding gap.”

Clarke added, “We believe the ILW’s illegal campaign of threats and violence is hurting the local economy.”

Both Clark and Cowlitz County’s have seen double digit unemployment for over 2 years now.

It is also being said today that wildcat strikes at other west coast ports seem to be breaking out. A spokesman from the ILW headquarters in San Francisco claims to not know anything about any such wildcat strikes, adding they must be doing it on their own initiative.

As our economy continues to struggle along, mired in high unemployment and closing businesses, union thuggery instead of sharing in the sacrifice with the rest of us is unacceptable.

As I recently noted, unions have a long history of such violent acts to force their way into private companies and now, public employment as well.

Such strong-arm tactics have raised our labor costs so high; many companies shut down operations and move to another country in order to remain profitable.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Jimmy Hoffa Jr., leader of the Teamsters Union outraged some people recently as he stood before a crowd, introducing Barack Obama saying, “President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let's take these sons of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong.” I say some because apparently, such incendiary rhetoric coming from a Democrat is acceptable.

We know that anything said by a conservative is quickly linked to any subsequent crime or tragic event, as we saw this past January when Democrat Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot, others killed and wounded by an apparently mentally disturbed young man.

It didn’t take but minutes for the propaganda machine to rev up blaming the shooting on Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Republicans and conservatives of any sort. That there was absolutely no evidence of any nature of any political intent or linkage made no difference, liberals went on a verbal rampage of condemnation and many continue it even after it has come out that the shooter, Jared Loughner had no political affiliation other than a last known liberal leaning years ago.

That was quickly ridiculed and the manufactured outrage directed at conservatives continued to fly.

The media did little, if anything at all, to correct the rhetoric, sometimes adding their own manufactured connections to the fray. Barack Obama chimed in with a call for ratcheting it down and for more civility.

Not even he toned it down; he just tried to mask his accusatory rhetoric in the succeeding months. Neither he nor any other Democrat has come forward to condemn Hoffa’s incendiary call of “take these son of bitches out,” some diverting the discussion, one White House Press Secretary Jay Carney saying, “Mr. Hoffa speaks for himself. He speaks for the labor movement, the AFL-CIO,” adding when pressed a little further, “Can we move on?”

Just like when Ms. Giffords was shot, there is no known motivation for this shooting. There is no known affiliation between the shooter and anything. But, unlike this past January, no one in the media or the Democrat party is leaping forward to call to create a connection when it is one of theirs that has made such an incendiary comment and a mass shooting immediately follows.

Hypocrisy, thy name is liberal Democrat.

America is more divided than it has been in decades and such inflammatory rhetoric and double standards in excusing it from the left and the media supporting the left just continues to fan the flames of division.

It is time to call Democrats on this “never let a crisis go to waste” rhetoric as they strive to conquer the country and impose their views and their views only upon us.

It is time for voters to stand up to this over the top rhetoric and double standard coming out of the lamestream media.

If we wish to save America and become prosperous again, it is time to cast these divisive tactics out from our midst, vote these people out of office and ignore the lamestream media as they fuel this divisive conduct.

Labor Day, for many it’s the official end of summer and the beginning of a new school year for children. A day set aside by congress in 1894 and, according to the Department of Labor, “a creation of the labor movement and dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.”

What is conveniently left out of that “dedication,” is acknowledgement of the economic depression that began the previous year in 1893 and what became known as the Pullman Strike, where economic conditions not much different than we see today caused layoffs and wage cuts at the Pullman company, a company who was known for manufacturing rail cars that converted to sleeping quarters overnight.

George Pullman, owner of the company cut wages, but retained the level of rent he charged workers in his company owned homes, causing a strike that the American Railway Union decided to become a part of. Their efforts led to “Rioting, pillaging, and burning of railroad cars,” disrupting not only travel, but delivery of the mail.

Eugene V. Debs

Democratic president Grover Cleveland deployed troops to break up the strike and in the ensuing escalation of violence and looting, two men were killed. The leader of the American Railway Union, Eugene V. Debs went to prison, his union disbanded and Pullman employees had to sign a pledge they would never again unionize.

In the meantime, seeing several states passing and celebrating a Labor Day and sensing political unease due to his sending troops in to break the strike; President Cleveland called on congress to rush through a national Labor Day in an effort to reconcile with a weakened but still present Labor Movement in America.

The legislation passed unanimously June 28, 1894, just 6 days after the Pullman Strike was broken.

The ensuing years has seen Labor Day retained and enjoyed by American, but the fear of more union violence seems to have been forgotten, relegated to the trash can of history. In fact, much union violence throughout our history seems to have been minimized and cast aside as unions seek more and more voice in our government, largely through the Democratic Party.

Long before the Pullman Strike and passing of Labor Day, labor movements began claiming to be standing up for the worker on a global scale. One such group was the “International Working Men’s Association,” founded and organized on the principals and organizational writings of Karl Marx. His writings also led to the brutal formation of the now defunct Soviet Union.

Surviving an assassination attempt in 1912, former Progressive Republican President and candidate again for the Presidency as a Progressive “Bull Moose,” Theodore Roosevelt, with a bullet still lodged in his chest said in part of Labor,

“It is essential that here should be organizations of labor. This is an era of organization. Capital organizes and therefore labor must organize. My appeal for organized labor is two-fold; to the outsider and the capitalist I make my appeal to treat the laborer fairly, to recognize the fact that he must organize that there must be such organization, that the laboring man must organize for his own protection, and that it is the duty of the rest of is to help him and not hinder him in organizing. That is one-half appeal that I make.”

“Now, the other half is to the labor man himself. My appeal to him is to remember that as he wants justice, so he must do justice. I want every labor man, every labor leader, every organized union man, to take the lead in denouncing disorder and in denouncing the inciting of riot; that in this country we shall proceed under the protection of our laws and with all respect to the laws, I want the labor men to feel in their turn that exactly as justice must be done them so they must do justice. They must bear their duty as citizens, their duty to this great country of ours, and that they must not rest content unless they do that duty to the fullest degree.”

How different the actual history of Union murder and sabotage has been as we read of union leaders like Richard Trumka, then head of the United Mine Workers when addressing the heinous murder of Eddie York in 1993, a nonunion contractor who operated heavy equipment shot to death during a strike that year. Trumka shrugging off the murder said, “I’m saying if you strike a match and you put your finger in it, you’re likely to get burned.”

As Michelle Malkin states in the article linked above, “Trumka told UMW members to ‘kick the shit out of every last’ worker who crossed his picket lines.” Trumka was rewarded for such actions by being moved up the ladder of the AFL-CIO.

The Wall Street Journal’s James Taranto, writing of the union thuggery seen in Wisconsin earlier this year showed that ‘Civility’ Was Always Dead when unions don’t get their way.

“Labor unions provide a rich source for organized criminal groups to exploit: their pension, welfare, and health funds. There are approximately 75,000 union locals in the U.S., and many of them maintain their own benefit funds. In the mid-1980s, the Teamsters controlled more than 1,000 funds with total assets of more than $9 billion.”

“Labor racketeers attempt to control health, welfare, and pension plans by offering “sweetheart” contracts, peaceful labor relations, and relaxed work rules to companies, or by rigging union elections.”

That continuing history is completely ignored across the nation as editorials today, like the Columbian’s In Our View: America’s Backbone glorifies unions by telling us, “Labor Day’s focus reveals that workers have built economic and political democracy.”

“Historically, the main ‘weapon’ that unions have employed to try to push wages above the levels that employees could get by bargaining for themselves on the free market without a union has been the strike. But in order for the strike to work, and for unions to have any significance at all, some form of coercion or violence must be used to keep competing workers out of the labor market.”

Such is the legacy of Labor and Labor Day. If the unions would face up to their history of violence and wrongdoing, including strong ties to organized crime, perhaps they could clean their act up and maybe re-grow their dwindling membership.

Reasonable contracts could be negotiated that would benefit both the company and the worker, without fear and threats of violence, retaliation or vandalism.

Instead, we see more and more threats of and actual violent acts, but now against struggling middle class taxpayers, the very people unions say they are helping.

In July 2003 we saw the headline, "Bush’s Economy: Unemployment Soars" with the comment, "- The nation's unemployment rate shot up to 6.4 percent in June, the highest level in more than nine years, in an economic slump that has added nearly a million people to jobless rolls in the past three months."

Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., then chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said, . "The verdict is in: The Republicans' multi-trillion dollar failed economic policy is one the greatest disasters for working Americans in a decade."

Unemployment was actually 6.3% according to BLS.

November 2003 saw Pelosi and Daschle send Bush a letter that said, "American workers are weathering the effects of an economy where there is only one job for every three individuals searching for a job. And yet, the Republican leadership in Congress is refusing again this year - as it has in the past - to address this urgent problem."

Unemployment was 5.8%

September 2004 saw the AP run an article, "Three-Mile Long Unemployment Line Gives Bush the Pink Slip."

Unemployment was 5.4%

January 2008, after Democrats had control of both houses of congress for a year, Chuckie Schumer posted, "Bush Jobs Record the Worst since Presidents Herbert Hoover and George H.W. Bush"

"BLS Report Indicates Loss of 13,000 Private Sector Jobs and Increase in Unemployment Rate to 5 Percent."
“If there were ever a shot across the bow to this Administration to get off its laissezfaire boat and start helping the economy, this is it."

Unemployment was at 5%.

Obama took office after Democrats had 2 years in control of both houses of congress with an unemployment rate of 7.8%, all fingers pointing at Bush and Republicans.

Unemployment exceeded 10% before Obama was in office a year and remains above 9% after claims of his multi billion dollar stimulus would prevent it from exceeding 8%.

And with the call of 9% becoming the new normal, all than can be done is still blame Bush and Republicans? Seems to me, we were doing much better when Democrats were telling us how bad everything was.

Words from Heroes To Heroes. Do No Harm, Especially to Yourself

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Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing, great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. - Winston Churchill

“A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'” (Author unknown)

---------------------------------

I stood up, I showed up, I stepped forward.
I raised my right hand, I stood in the gap, I walked in the fire. I did not run, I did not hide, I did not dodge, I did not evade.

Consequently...

I have nothing to prove, no one to convince, those who matter, already know. Those who don't, never will.
(Author Unknown)

African-Americans, are you tired of being short-changed by the Democrats you keep voting for? Fed up with their empty promises while you stay poor? Can’t understand why your lives never improve? You will find answers at the National Black Republican Association